Prophet Joseph (TV series)

Introduction

The main theme of the story is based on the account of prophet Joseph in the Quran. The story begins with the memories of Jacob, Joseph's father, and continues with Joseph, who was most loved by his father among his brothers, being thrown into a well in Galilee by his jealous ten brothers. Benjamin was Joseph's brother from the same mother (Rachel); he was still a child and was at home, unaware of the events. Reuben and Levi loved Joseph and did not want to participate in this act, but they were forced to do so under pressure from Judah and the others.

The angel Gabriel appears to Joseph, aged 12, for the first time in the well. Joseph is frightened and speaks to him with a trembling voice. Gabriel greets him and informs him that he is the heir to prophethood, that he will become a prophet after his father. He tells him to prepare for hardship and that he will be sent to a distant land (Ancient Egypt) to guide the people of the world to the right path. Days later, a Hebrew caravan approaches the well to get water. The caravan members cannot see Joseph at the bottom of the dark well, exhausted and too weak from hunger to make a sound, until the angel Gabriel appears to Joseph and asks him to hold onto the water jug. Gabriel told Joseph that they had come to rescue him under God's guidance and that he should not mention himself or his family to them.

A man named Malik ben Zaar, a descendant of Ishmael, was amazed by the beauty of Joseph's face and questioned him. Joseph does not speak as Gabriel commanded. Seeing that Joseph does not speak, he asks him if he knows Hebrew. Joseph finally only gives his name. Malik also asks him whose son he is and which clan he belongs to. Joseph remained silent, but said that someone had thrown him into the well and that he had no family, and he begged for help and wanted to go with them.

The ten brothers, watching from a distance, approach the caravan members and tell them that Joseph is their slave, that he has been lost and fallen into a well, and they demand him back. Malik became suspicious of their speech and actions and asked Joseph if this was true. Joseph remains silent at first and stares at his brothers for a long time. Then he notices his brother Levi, with whom he gets along well, winking at him as if to say "yes." Levi, fearing that Judah would kill Joseph, planned to sell him as a slave to the caravanners. Because he trusted Levi, Joseph said, "Yes, they are my masters." When the caravanners refuse to hand him over, Judas draws his dagger and angrily declares that he will not hesitate to fight them if they do not give him Joseph. At that moment, Levi stops Judah and wants to resolve the issue through dialogue with the caravanners.

Malik tells the Israelites that they cannot handle the armed men in his caravan. But he finally told them he had given up his insistence, even though he believed Joseph was not a slave. Levi puts his plan into action and turns the tables: "Since you want him so badly, we want to sell our slave to you. He doesn't want to come back to us anyway." Malik accepts the offer, and Joseph is sold for exactly 18 dirhams. Judah turned to Joseph one last time and said, "If I ever see you in the land of Canaan again, I will surely kill you." Levi goes to Joseph one last time and says in a low voice, "Don't worry, they're better than us. Go with them. Your life is in danger here. Please forgive me for not being able to do anything."

Development

After crossing the Egyptian border, Malik ben Zaar asks Joseph, who is stunned, why he is shocked. Joseph says he has never seen such a magnificent and developed place before. Malik said that the Egyptians were polytheistic, did not look kindly upon monotheists, and that he should not speak to them about his faith. Malik sadly puts Joseph, a Canaanite who, like himself, believes in one God, up for sale at an Egyptian slave market. At that moment, the angel Gabriel, in human form, catches the attention of Potiphar (an Egyptian nobleman) and mentions a child slave. Potiphar is very impressed by Joseph's bright eyes and appearance. He buys Joseph as a palace slave for 3,000 dirhams to give to his wife as a gift.

When Potiphar's wife (or Zuleikah) saw 12-year-old Joseph, she felt as if she had known him before and, like everyone else, was very impressed by his good looks. Joseph grew up in the comfort of the palace, being educated, reading books to Potiphar, who could not read, and doing light work. In his early twenties, Joseph becomes a well-equipped and respected palace official. Potiphar's wife, who began to harbor feelings for Joseph, started making increasingly poor decisions because of her love for him. She became addicted to wine and parties, doing everything she could to forget him, but she couldn't forget Joseph, and this did not go unnoticed by the other nobles around her. The other noblewomen reproach Potiphar's wife, saying, "She has fallen in love with her slave. What a great weakness!"

Potiphar's wife, in response to their words, devises a plan to defend herself and showcase Joseph's handsomeness. She organizes a grand banquet in her palace and invites the noblewomen of Egypt. The women are offered fruit, and each is given a knife so they can peel their own fruit. Just then, Potiphar's wife calls Joseph inside. When the women see Joseph, they are amazed by his extraordinary beauty, stunned and almost spellbound. In their astonishment, they cut their hands. The women say, "He is not a man; he must be a beautiful angel." Joseph didn't look anywhere but the road ahead.

After a while, Potiphar's wife succumbs to her love and lust and summons Joseph to her private chamber seven doors away. She tells him that he is her slave and cannot refuse her wishes, and Joseph does not suspect anything at first. Joseph, who never makes eye contact, feels uncomfortable when Potiphar's wife approaches him. Potiphar's wife lowers the veil on her face in front of Joseph and makes her desire for sexual relations clear by saying, "I am ready to give myself to you." Joseph, however, angrily refused and told her that he would not betray her or her husband Potiphar, that it would be adultery. Joseph tells her that he will only carry out her righteous commands. When Potiphar's wife saw that Joseph was unwilling and spoke like this, she slapped him. At that moment, Joseph felt the angel Gabriel calling out to him and delivering a message. Gabriel said to him, "O Prophet of God, Potiphar's wife is a traitor. Do not retaliate against her slap, and flee from this trap of the devil toward the door." Joseph knows the door is locked, but he trusts Gabriel completely. Then the locks on the seven doors begin to open automatically, starting with the first one.

A smile replaced the look of anger on his face, and Joseph began to run away. Seeing this, Potiphar's wife, frightened, began to chase after him. When he reached the last door, Joseph, overcome with excitement, made a mistake and couldn't pull the door toward himself, and Potiphar's wife took advantage of this opportunity and grabbed him by his tunic. Joseph opened the door, but his tunic was torn at the back. As soon as he opened the last door, Potiphar appeared right in front of them. The room fell silent, and finally Potiphar confronted them. While everyone supported Potiphar's wife, Joseph was left alone. Just as Potiphar was about to order his execution, he told Joseph that he would be pardoned if he could find a witness. Joseph, however, is quiet and calm. Finally, he hears the crying baby and senses that it is a miracle from God, and he asks for it as a witness. Potiphar initially thinks this is a joke, but they call the baby without upsetting Joseph. The baby miraculously speaks, saying with poor diction, "God's command is this: If Joseph's tunic is torn from the front, Joseph is guilty. But if it is torn from the back, Joseph is innocent, and Zuleikah is guilty."

Main characters

• Mostafa Zamani as Joseph ben Jacob (Egyptian name Jousarseph)
  • Hossein Jafari as young Joseph ben Jacob
• Katayoun Riahi as Potiphar's wife (or Zuleikah)
• Jafar Dehghan as Potiphar

Supporting characters

• Ardalan Shoja Kaveh as Gabriel
• Mahvash Sabrkan as Karimama, the maid of Zuleikah
• Elham Hamidi as Asenath, wife of Joseph ben Jacob
• Abbas Amiri Moghaddam as Ankh Mahoo
• Jahanbakhsh Soltani as Amenhotep III
• Rahim Norouzi as Akhenaten
• Parvaneh Massoumi as Tiye, wife of Amenhotep III
• Leila Bolukat as Nefertiti, wife of Akhenaten
• Sirous Kahoori-Nejad as Mimisaboo
• Mohammad-Ali Soleimantash as Apophis
• Amir-Hossein Modares as Inaros, winemaker of Amenhotep
• Ali Taleb-Loo as Honifer, chamberlain of Potiphar
• Esmail Soltanian as Kimoni
• Reza Razavi as Horemheb
• Israfil Alamdari as Roodemon
• Reza Agharabi as Paadiyamon
• Parviz Fallahipour as Kidamen
• Mahdi Mansour-Kohi as Hoya
• Mojtaba Bitarafan as Soufer
• Naser Forough as Khoofoo
• Ali Bekaeeian as Apouki
• Panteha Mahdinia as Meriateten
• Jamshid Safari as Falih
• Zahra Mortazavi as Tiamini
• Ala Mohseni as Ninifer Kibta
• Bita Samari as Tama
• Mohammad Poursattar as Khidr
• Sirous Asnaghi as prison guard
• Monouchehr Behrouj as Bintoo
• Farajollah Salahshoor as Azrael

Canaanites

• Mahmoud Pak Niat as Jacob bin Isaac (or Israel)
• Zahra Saeedi as Faegha bat Isaac
• Kourosh Zarei as Levi ben Jacob
• Davoud Sheikh as Judah ben Jacob
  • Poyan Moghaddam as young Judah ben Jacob
• Mohammad Ahmadi as Simeon ben Jacob
• Zehir Yari as Benjamin ben Jacob
  • Arsalan Ghasemi as young Benjamin ben Jacob
• Nasrin Nakisa ae Dinah bat Jacob
• Fereshteh Sarabandi as Leah bat Laban
• Maryam Bakhshi as Rachel bat Laban
• Soudabeh Alipour as Bilhah
• Mitra Khavajeh-Nian as Zilpah
• Javad Taheri as Malik ben Zaar